Accidentally Aligned: Value In a Lean System
- jasoneneal
- Oct 26
- 2 min read
Value in a Lean System
By Jason Neal
American newspaper columnist Doug Larson once remarked, "Wisdom is the reward of a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk." As I've recently celebrated my 45th birthday, I've reflected on how much time I've spent talking versus listening. Over the last decade, listening has taught me a profound lesson about value.
Understanding Value:
Let's start with some fundamental questions:
How is value determined? Value is determined by the customer, and it's not static; it evolves over time.
What does value creation look like? When value is created, it involves stakeholders who are actively engaged in processes that meet customer expectations. It fosters a sense of pride and satisfaction among those involved, directly impacting the emotional and operational landscape of a business or service.
The Role of Continuous Improvement:
The concept of continuous improvement is pivotal in a lean system because it ensures we're always aiming to align with what the customer values. Here's how it works:
Standard Processes: We need to question, "What processes do we use to create value?" If these processes aren't effective, we must refine them. Once a robust standard is in place, we can analyze where we're truly adding value and where we might be adding waste.
Flow and Waste: By focusing on value, we become more adept at spotting inefficiencies. Information flow is crucial; where it stops, inventory and waste accumulate.
Challenges in Selling Technical Solutions:
When facing resistance in selling technical solutions to manufacturing companies, consider this:
Automation vs. Efficiency: Companies adopting lean principles are wary of automating inefficiencies. They seek solutions that enhance processes already stripped of waste. If you're proposing automation for a process that could be simplified or eliminated, you might encounter skepticism. Lean companies ask, "Why automate if simplification could render automation unnecessary?"
Practical Steps Forward:
Here's what you can do with this understanding:
Re-evaluate Customer Value: In your own operations, ask, "What does the customer define as value?" Look at your workflows, understand how tasks are prioritized, and who does what next.
Eliminate Unnecessary Steps: Identify and remove process steps that do not contribute to value creation. This isn't just about cutting costs but about enhancing the overall system's efficiency and responsiveness to customer needs.
Embrace Incremental Improvement: The journey towards perfection is incremental. Each small step in the right direction compounds over time, making tomorrow's operations better than today's.
In essence, the pursuit of value within a lean system is not just about doing things better but about doing better things. It's about aligning every action with what truly matters to the customer, thereby elevating both the product and the process. Remember, continuous improvement isn't about reaching a destination; it's about making the journey itself valuable.
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